Visit Khao Lak, Thailand

Khao Lak: Thailand’s Tranquil Andaman Escape

Khao Lak is just north of Phuket, about an hour and a half. It offers another side to the Andaman’s, a quieter and much more relaxing alternative, as it extends over 30 km of blonde sandy beaches lined with jungle and rocky headlands. There are some areas like Pak Weep Beach that are still wild and undeveloped, as well as areas that are more developed, with restaurants and local weekly markets.

From Khao Lak, you can access national parks. You can get to the Similan Islands in just 90 minutes by speedboat. The Similan Islands are famous for their granite boulder formations and beautiful dive sites. The Similans have something for everyone, from reef-lined slopes for beginners, to maze-like rock corridors with zebra sharks, morays, and turtles. Mu Ko Surin National Park is within reach by boat, and it has a number of shallow reefs perfect for snorkeling and viewing leatherback turtles.

Hiding the waterfalls, rare orchids, and hornbills, are the rainforests years of Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, while the larger Khao Sok National Park has almost 700 square kilometers of age-old evergreen forest and the wayward limestone lakes that can be explored by means of kayak or boats, whilst looking for water monitors and soaring raptors.